Atonement
by Caeva
Summary: [NaruSasu] Two months have passed since the fourth shinobi war ended. Sasuke wants to return to Konoha, but is quickly faced with the harsh reality: Broken trust is difficult to mend. He'll have to start from the very bottom, striking a painful deal with Tsunade. Naruto struggles to keep his distance, but their messy history has left scars that neither can ignore.


I've hesitated for so long, but I finally decided to write this. I realize that there's a lot going on in Naruto right now, and that what I'm about to write collides with the original storyline. But you know what? That's the beauty of fanfiction - there are no rules. [insert evil genius laugh]  
I've had this plot in my head for over a year, and it's about time for me to get it out. Hope you'll like it. If you do, please review and let me know.

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.  
Genre: Drama/Angst (Yaoi)  
Pairing: Naruto/Sasuke  
Rating: Mature  
Warning: Spoiler alert! If you're not up to speed with the manga, I suggest you find another fic to read.

Summary: Two months have passed since the fourth shinobi war ended. Sasuke wants to come back to Konoha, but is quickly faced with the harsh reality: Broken trust is difficult to mend. He'll have to start from the bottom. Naruto tries his best to support Sasuke, but their messy history has left scars that neither can ignore.

Chapter 1.

* * *

The setting sun dyed the corridor red, the air carried the scent of coffee and paperwork and stress. Sasuke stood leaning against the wall, eyes concentrated on the closed door that led to the hokage's office. Whoever was in there was taking their sweet time. Sasuke's appointment started a few minutes ago. It irritated him, being forced to wait.

On the opposite side of the corridor stood two older shinobi, trying to look casual despite the friction that sizzled between them. One of them kept sending glares Sasuke's way, and he ignored every single one of them. It did amuse him, though. That the shinobi thought that looking angrily his way would have any effect. Ridiculous.

They were assigned to keep an eye him. Not for Sasuke's safety, but for everyone else's. He understood that. Despite Sasuke's crucial assistance in the recent war, and the two months he'd just spent contributing to the reconstruction of Konoha - which had been left in a pretty sorry state - he had yet to see a trusting pair of eyes meet his own.

It didn't bother him. He supposed it should have, though.

The glaring shinobi finally spoke up, puffing his chest out and cocking his head to the side with a spiteful gleam in his eyes.

"The chance of her letting you back is minimal. You know that, right?"

"I'm aware." Sasuke's gaze never strayed from the door in front of him, but watching the shinobi from the corner of his eye came natural to him.

"And even if she DID give her permission," the shinobi continued, increasingly eager in his personal quest to hit Sasuke where it hurt, "there's no way I'll ever work with you. Or anyone else for that matter."

"I see." His dispassionate reaction seemed to frustrate the shinobi.

"Do you get it? We don't _want _you back. I don't care what Tsunade-sama says-"

"Daiki, calm down." The second shinobi put a hand on his partner's shoulder, seemingly disinterested, but his voice was sharp.

"You serious?" The shinobi named Daiki turned wide, angry eyes at his partner. "Taka, he's-"

"I know what he is," Taka interrupted him again and cracked his neck with a swift shrug. "But our job is to watch him. Not to pick a fight. Let Tsunade-sama handle him."

Daiki glared to Sasuke, and back to Taka, before he finally settled back against the wall with a frown and a 'tch'.

Sasuke's lips curled into a slight smile.

_'What' I am... A traitor? A killer? _

Well, whatever it was, Sasuke supposed he'd agree. It struck him as ironic, though. Shinobi were _trained _to decieve. Shinobi were _trained _to kill.

Sasuke was the perfect shinobi, and they resented him for it. The thought made Sasuke tap his head against the wall with an amused snort. Daiki glared even harder.

The door finally swung open, and the douche that had made him wait for almost ten minutes came out. The menacing look Sasuke had prepared for him morphed into a much more lifeless expression at the sight.

Blond hair, an impossibly happy grin etched on his face, whiskers marks. Sasuke ignored the twinge of familiarity that dragged across his chest. Naruto was a stranger to him now. Just like everyone else.

His old teammate seemed to have grown a considerable number of centimetres over the last few months, and while he was wearing his usual orange pants, the matching jacket was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he'd chosen to sport a regular black t-shirt.

The Uzumaki froze mid-step when his eyes locked with Sasuke's, grin fading quickly as he sobered from whatever happy news he'd recieved inside the hokage's office.

"Sasuke." He nodded, eyes chilly, expression stiff. Sasuke blinked slowly at the blond, but didn't open his mouth. Naruto's gaze was just as electric and energetic as he remembered, but his trademark surplus of excitement was a lot less prominent.

The Uzumaki sent the two other shinobi a subtle glance before he walked away with quick steps. Sasuke watched him leave, relieved that the blond hadn't caused a scene. Naruto used to be good at doing that, and Sasuke used to be bad at handling it.

Since the war ended, they'd barely seen each other, let alone spoken. Sasuke had braced himself for some kind of emotional outburst. Fists, tears, random idiocy, whatever. But Naruto didn't seem to mind Sasuke's lack of interest, or his lack of acknowledgement. The Uzumaki had been travelling back and forth to Suna, and the few times they'd accidently bumped into one another, neither had made any attempt to strike up a conversation.

_Guess war changes people._

"Uchiha-kun," Shizune called. She stood in the doorway, hand on the doorknob, expression wary. "Tsunade-sama will see you now."

Sasuke glanced to the two shinobi, and sent Daiki a subtle smirk before he entered the office.

He hadn't been in there since the days of the third, and things were remarkably the same - except for the chaotic heap of paperwork on Tsunade's desk. The hokage herself looked tired, worn out, and that was only to be understood. The last couple of months had been hard on all of them.

"Sasuke," she greeted. "I apologize for the wait."

Despite her obvious fatigue, her eyes were alive, awake and directed straight at him. Sasuke didn't greet her, but sent her a brief nod. This seemed to amuse Tsunade. She gave a crooked smile, quirked an eyebrow, and reached for one of the papers in the chaos that was her workspace.

"Still a brat, I see," she chuckled. Sasuke swallowed any sour reply he would've liked to give. "So. You want back?"

"Yes."

"Huh." Tsunade pursed her lips, leaned back in her chair and skimmed through what was written on the paper, which Sasuke assumed was some kind of report on him. "You do realize that you're an official S-rank criminal?" She said, voice light. "And that most of Konoha's shinobi consider you a traitor?"

"... Yes."

"And despite that, you think I'll let back into my village?"

"I was hoping that my... _unpleasant_ ranking would matter less after my efforts in the war," Sasuke said, tried his best to sound at least somewhat polite, but his voice came out monotone and icy.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. She put the paper back into the chaos, and brought her hands together.

"May I ask why, exactly, you want to come back?" She asked and cocked her head to the side. "See, I've heard the most outrageous rumors. Rumors that you're after this," she said and pointed to the hokage's hat placed by the window with a scary grin. "Please tell me that whoever started that rumor is full of shit."

"... I'm an Uchiha," Sasuke said. "My ancestors were part of the founding of Konoha. I belong here."

"So you're saying you have no interest in becoming hokage?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "I need you to convince me. Because there's no way in hell I'm letting you back if your agenda is to take over this office."

"There are changes I'd like to make, I admit that." Sasuke kept his expression smoothe. "You know what happened to my brother, hokage-sama. I won't deny that I'm not altogether satisfied with how the council has handled things in the past."

"What happened to your brother was most unfortunate," Tsunade said, expression tight. "But I can't let you back out of pity."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. Pity?

"As I said, I want to come back because I belong here. Not because I want to become your leader, or because you owe it to me. It's been two months already. I'm sick of waiting around."

Tsunade's hard expression softened a bit.

"Sasuke, you were gone for almost four years. An S-rank rogue ninja. The ANBU were ordered to kill you on sight. Do you understand what that means?" Tsunade leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk. "It means that I have a room full of council members _demanding_ that I kick you out. It means that people are scared of you. Do you know what fear does to people?"

Sasuke nodded slowly and turned his gaze to the floor.

"Fear breeds hatred."

"And still, you want back?"

"Yes."

"How badly?"

"Excuse me?" Sasuke looked up with a frown. Tsunade stared intently at him.

"What would you do to in order to come back?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He hated the direction the conversation was taking, but there was nothing he could do about it. He'd have to take the bait.

"Whatever's necessary."

The sky was purple now. For a few seconds, all Sasuke could hear was a lonely crow circulating the building with hoarse croaks.

"Then let me state the conditions," Tsunade continued. "It's up to you whether or not you choose to accept them. If you decline, I'll have no choice but to exile you from Konoha." She paused. Cleared her throat. Took a deep breath. "I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself, Sasuke. Because I _am_ grateful to you. But I can't let you back in just like that. Because this isn't just about me. You have to gain back the trust of an entire village. You understand?"

Sasuke didn't move. Searched Tsunade's face for signs of lying, but found none. So he took a deep breath.

"State you conditions."

* * *

"Naruto!" Sakura waved to him from an ice cream stand across the street. She jogged over to him with a huge cone in her hand. "So? What did Tsunade-sama want?"

Naruto smiled, determined to let go of his sudden encounter with Sasuke. It had rattled him, like everything else that had to do with Sasuke these days. And it would rattle Sakura if she found out, too. They never discussed it, but Naruto knew she'd been avoiding Sasuke just as desperately as he had.

The three years Naruto had spent hoping and dreaming about the day they'd be re-united as team seven seemed like a childish fantasy now. Things wouldn't be that simple.

"What are you guys up to?" Kiba greeted them as he emerged from a near-by shop, followed by Chouji and Shikamaru.

"Naruto was called to the hokage's office for some '_mysterious reason_'!" Sakura beamed with poorly hidden excitement. It was clear that she already suspected what had happened. Her excitement rubbed off on Chouji, who turned to Naruto with curious eyes.

"What did she want?"

Naruto shrugged with fake arrogance, but his lips quickly split into a bright grin.

"Oh nothing important... I mean, I'm a jōnin now, but whatever-"

His final words were drowned out from Sakura's scream of excitement. She attacked him with a violent hug, dropping her ice cream on the ground in the process.

"I knew it! I just knew it! Naruto, this is amazing!"

"Congratulations, Naruto!" Chouji patted his shoulder with a warm smile. "I've never heard of anyone being bumped straight up from genin to jōnin before."

"Me neither," Naruto said, shaking his head with bewilderment. "I mean, I wouldn't mind taking those damn chuunin-exams again, but with the village's reconstruction taking up everyone's time and energy, it doesn't look like we'll be holding one of those any time soon. And granny said I've already proved myself..." With reddening cheeks, he scratched the back of his head before he mumbled the rest. "And that my abilities are far beyond the level of chuunin..."

"Man, I never thought you'd beat me to it!" Kiba said with a jealous pout. "Maybe I should pay the hokage a visit, too..."

"And tell her what? That you've trained Akamaru to count to three?" Sakura smirked. "Yeah, that's gonna be real helpful the next time we can't figure out what one plus two equals."

"Hey!" Kiba turned to Sakura and gestured dramatically to Akamaru. "He can count to FIVE."

"I'm amazed," Sakura drawled and crossed her arms over her chest with an unimpressed smile.

Kiba ignored her and crouched down next to Akamaru, ruffling the dog's fur with affection. "That's right... You're a math genius, aren't ya?" Akamaru yipped with pride.

"Well, that makes one of you," Shikamaru commented with a lazy smile and turned to Naruto. "Real happy for you, Naruto. I know you've been waiting for this."

"Yeah," Naruto chuckled. "I was starting to worry that I'd die a genin."

"Well, hey, we were on our way to get some yakiniku," Chouji said. "Why don't you guys join us? We have to celebrate this!"

"Sounds good to me," Naruto gave a thumbs up and looked over to Sakura, who stared at her dropped ice cream with hungry eyes.

"Yeah, I'm coming, too," she said with a sheepish smile and flipped her hair as she turned to Naruto. "The usual place, I presume? Where's Ino? I can't wait to tell... her..."

Her words dropped off as her widening eyes strayed towards the other side of the street, and Naruto could only guess what had caught her attention.

He glanced over his shoulder. Sasuke stalked past the many market stands with quick, angry steps, eyes on the ground. Either he didn't notice them, or he chose to ignore them completely. Naruto guessed it was the latter.

"What's he still doing here?" Kiba muttered, loudly enough for everyone to hear. Sasuke included - which was probably the point.

"I just met him outside granny's office," Naruto admitted. "Guess he's planning on sticking around for a while."

"What!" Kiba turned to him with disbelieving eyes. "The guy's an S-rank! There's no way-"

"Kiba, keep your voice down!" Sakura seethed and looked ready to punch the Inuzuka.

"I'm just saying, the guy's nuts!" Kiba said, voice lowered, but only a little. "The godaime would never let him back after all the shit he's pulled."

"And what the hell would you know about 'the shit he's pulled'?" Naruto snapped, earning himself a scoff from the other shinobi.

"I'm just saying what everyone's thinking," he said and gestured to the rest of the group. Chouji nearly dropped his bag of crisps on the ground, and Shikamaru quirked a disapproving eyebrow upon being dragged into the argument. Naruto's mood went from slightly irritated to angry in a matter of seconds.

"Sasuke's been here ever since the war ended," Sakura pointed out, voice shaky. "You can't deny that he's been a huge help."

"Oh, but denying that he's a rogue maniac is perfectly alright? He was gone for over _three_ years, Sakura!" Kiba turned back to Naruto. "He may have been part of your team once, but we don't know anything about him now. He would've chopped Sakura to pieces without thinking twice if you hadn't stepped in and saved her ass that time-"

"Hey, I tried to kill HIM!" Sakura snapped, effectively silencing Kiba. She took a steadying breath before she continued. "Look, I know what Sasuke is, and what he's done, and I'm not trying to fool myself that we'll go back to being team seven... But if he's willing to prove himself-"

"Oh please," Kiba scoffed, getting increasingly aggressive. "Just how naïve are you? The guy's a stone cold killer!"

"I'll admit that he's done some gruesome things, but the truth is, he hasn't killed _anyone_ we didn't consider an enemy," Sakura pointed out, glaring daggers at the Inuzuka. She looked over to Chouji and Shikamaru with a stern expression. "And this wouldn't exactly be the first time a rogue shinobi returned to Konoha, would it?"

Chouji stopped munching on his crisps. Shikamaru tensed up and sent Sakura an irritated look.

"Don't bring Asuma into this."

The group shifted uncomfortably. Naruto let out a trembling breath, and turned away from the group. The joy he'd felt a few minutes ago was gone, and left him feeling cold.

"I don't feel like yakiniku anymore," he said and started walking away. "Talk to you guys later."

"Naruto..." Sakura hesitated. He glanced at her and shook his head. He didn't want her company. He didn't want anyone to follow him.

Anger and confusion burned in his chest as he blended into the crowded streets of Konoha. It was amazing how quickly things had gone back to normal within the village. Large parts of it were still trashed, and it'd take at least another two or three months before the reconstruction was complete, but the people of Konoha were coping.

The market stands were fewer in number, sure, but it wasn't a huge difference. Children were laughing, old men were playing Shogi outside the tea shops, and Ichiraku was open for business. Konoha had remained Konoha, despite the recent tragedies the village had suffered.

There were only two major differences that truly bothered Naruto.

One; The grave yard had a lot more headstones than before. Black, shiny, _new _ones. Engraved with names of people that he had known and cared about. People he hadn't been able to protect. Naruto had yet to visit any of the new graves, and he doubted he'd go there any time soon.

Two; Sasuke was back. Indefinitely, it seemed.

Four years ago, Sasuke had left Konoha. Three years later, they met again. And Sasuke had tried to stick his katana through him. If it hadn't been for Orochimaru, Sasuke might've succeeded.

_No... he _would _have succeeded. _

Naruto shuddered. To think he owed his life to someone like that.

And still, Naruto had kept hoping, wishing, wanting Sasuke to come back. Be part of team seven again. Be his rival, friend and brother again. That's what had kept him going.

Reality was a harsh bitch.

Now that Sasuke was finally back, nothing felt right. The strange but strong bond they had shared all those years ago had been reduced to a thin string, not nearly strong enough to actually tie them together - it only served to keep them loosely connected. All it took was one small tug from either part, and the thread would snap.

Naruto didn't want that to happen, but he wasn't sure why anymore.

He stopped and looked up.

_The hell am I doing here..?_

The low, dark houses of the Uchiha compound had never looked more hostile. He hadn't meant to follow Sasuke. His feet had simply brought him there.

Naruto looked around. The compound was located on the outskirts of the village - the part that hadn't been destroyed during the war.

_How lucky. Finding another place to live would've been difficult for you..._

The red tape that used to decorate the front gates had been removed, making it look less like a crime scene, and more like a haunted temple. Naruto noticed a single source of light coming from one of the open rooms leading out to the front yard. A single candle. Sasuke was nowhere in sight, but Naruto knew he was there.

Everything in him wanted to leave. It would've been easier to just turn around and walk back to Konoha. Have yakiniku with Chouji and Shikamaru.

But Naruto was tired of keeping up the charade that he and Sasuke didn't know each other. Tired of the avoidance. It was starting to feel ridiculous. They had fought side by side during the war - watched each other's backs. They weren't enemies.

Granted, Naruto didn't know just what the hell they were, because they certainly weren't _friends_, but... he wasn't ready to let the string break just yet. Not yet.

So he started walking towards the house, squinting in the darkness. When he reached the long porch that stretched around the traditional building, he removed his sandals, climbed up, and stepped into the room.

The flame made an agitated swirl, as Naruto's entrance disturbed the air. There were no furniture. The room's entire décor consisted of the candle, and pale tatami.

Naruto turned to his left, quirked an eyebrow, and said nothing.

Sasuke was sitting against the wall, elbows against knees, eyes closed.

"Didn't your mom ever teach you it's rude to enter people's houses without their permission?" Sasuke slipped his eyes open as his mouth curled into a cruel smirk. "Oh, wait..."

"Good to see you've maintained your wicked sense of humour," Naruto replied dryly and took a seat by the wall on the opposite side of the room. "I thought for sure spending three years in Orochimaru's dungeouns would've knocked all the fun out of you. Which would've been a shame. You used to be the life of party," he said with a joyless grin.

Sasuke let out a soft snort. "Why are you here, Naruto?"

_Beats the fuck out of me..._

"You looked like you wanted to murder someone earlier... Made me kinda curious. What did you and Tsunade talk about?"

"Curiosity killed the scaredy-cat," Sasuke said with a snicker.

"Clever," Naruto said, keeping his tone light. "You're avoiding the question."

"I have no obligation to tell you. Now leave."

"Obligation?" Naruto scoffed and let his head fall back against the wall. "Since when do you give a rat's ass about obligation?"

_Was it 'obligation' that made you leave us behind?_

"Since I decided to."

"Aw. Keeping secrets? Even though we used to be so close," Naruto said, smiling sarcastically.

"Getting sentimental, are we?" Sasuke stared at the flame with a bitter smile. "Our team seven-days are far behind us, Uzumaki."

"Don't I know it," Naruto sighed.

"Do you? Really?" Sasuke sent him a tired glare. "I heard all about your desperate search for me. You always did have a hard time letting things go. Especially people."

"Says the guy who spent nine years obsessing over his brother," Naruto snorted. Sasuke's gaze flared with anger.

"Don't go there."

"Fine, fine..." Naruto put his hands up. "No need to get all huffy. All that crap is behind us, right? Itachi has been recognized as a hero and everything."

Sasuke didn't reply. He stared so intensely at the candle, it almost seemed like he was being hypnotized by it. Naruto rubbed his hands together in an effort to remain cool.

"You know, even if you don't tell me what that meeting was about, I can find out."

"It's classified information," Sasuke said, eyes fixed on the flame.

"Yeah. Which means I'll have to go through the classified reports. Thought I'd save some time by asking you directly."

Sasuke shot Naruto an icy look.

"Only the staff of the files department can do that."

"And jōnin."

Sasuke froze. His eyes widened slowly as he stared at Naruto, realization striking hard.

"... She made you jōnin."

"Who woulda thought, huh?" Naruto smiled, but his eyes remained cold. Sasuke stayed still and silent for a few more seconds.

"I suppose a 'congratulations' is in order," he finally ground out. Naruto blinked, eyebrows inching upwards.

"Seriously? Thanks."

The silence stretched out. Naruto almost choked on everything he wanted to say, and everything he wanted to ask. But in the end, there was only one question that seemed to matter.

"Are you staying?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and gave a slow nod. Naruto waited for some kind of explanation, some clarification. But Sasuke kept his mouth shut, forcing Naruto to keep nudging.

"For how long?"

"It depends."

"On what?"

Sasuke's eyes were suddenly open again, meeting Naruto's straight on. The Uchiha swallowed tightly. Whatever he was struggling to get out was big, and by the looks of it, quite painful.

"I'm allowed to stay in Konoha - on a certain condition," he finally admitted, voice strained. Naruto was growing wary. What kind of deal had Tsunade struck with Sasuke? He almost didn't want to know. Almost.

"What condition?"

Sasuke didn't answer right away. But when he finally did, Naruto barely caught it. His voice was thin, and worryingly lifeless.

"She's blocked my chakra."

Naruto's jaw slacked as he struggled to understand what Sasuke had said.

"She... _What_?"

"She's blocked my chakra!" Sasuke growled. "My tenkutsu are closed off. Some kind of numbing jutsu... I can't do anything. ANYTHING. I can't even run up a fucking tree, let alone use my sharingan!"

The outburst left the Uchiha panting, and he turned his face away with a sneer.

"Sasuke..." Naruto gave his old team mate a pained look. "Is it permanent?"

"No," Sasuke let out a shaky sigh, still facing away from Naruto. "I have to go to the hospital once a week and let her maintain the jutsu. Otherwise the effect wears off. If I refuse, I won't be permitted to stay in Konoha."

"And you agreed to that? Willingly?" Naruto wanted to smack himself. Sasuke let out a soft snort.

"Konoha is my village," Sasuke said quietly. "I was born here, I was trained here, and I have the right to die here."

Whatever Naruto had expected Sasuke to say, that wasn't it. He wasn't sure how to respond.

"For how long?"

"Until she's convinced I'm not a threat to the other villagers. I'm like a dog with a muzzle." He paused and glanced to Naruto through his black bangs. "Do you think I'm dangerous, Naruto?"

"You? Dangerous?" His attempt at making the words come out light and humorous failed miserably. He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. I don't even know who you are anymore."

The flame flickered, and Sasuke's pale features bathed in the orange light. The fire didn't recognize its' former master.

"Me neither."

They sat in silence for a while. It made Naruto uncomfortable. Made him wish more than ever they could go back to being kids again. Sasuke would spit out a condescending remark, and Naruto would snap something stupid back. That's how it went. That's how they communicated. It had been easy. Interesting. Exciting.

But silence? Naruto hated silence. It didn't suit him.

"Let's skip the hearing. How about we try some good old fashioned honesty for once?" Naruto said, trying his best to sound somewhat light hearted. Sasuke stirred.

"Honesty?"

Naruto let out an amused scoff. "You say the word like you don't even know what it means."

"I've been lied to my whole life. Can you blame me?"

"I guess not."

"Then get on with it."

They faced each other simultaneously, electric blue against lifeless onyx.

"Having you back in Konoha is confusing as shit, for all of us," Naruto said, frowning. "I can't say for sure that you'll ever fit in again. I don't even know if that's what you want. And although part of me is glad to have you back, I don't know how to approach you. This is weird for me, too. The others don't trust you. They think Tsunade's crazy for letting you stay."

Sasuke remained calm. "And what do you think?"

"Me?" Naruto shrugged. "I like the concept of second chances."

"So you're on my side." Sasuke gave a cold smile. "Am I supposed to feel relieved? Cry on your shoulder?"

Naruto's expression hardened. He shook his head slowly as he got up, dragged a hand through his messy hair, and watched the sky turn a dark blue as the last sunrays died out behind the mountains.

"I'm not on anyone's side, Sasuke," he said, working hard to keep his emotions in check. "To be honest, I'd _like _to be on your side. But... you're making it really fucking difficult."

Sasuke let out a short, joyless laugh. "Don't patronize me. I didn't come back to make friends."

Naruto stepped up to Sasuke with such speed that the flame went out, drowning the room in darkness. "Then why the hell _did_ you come back? Huh?" He growled. "To mess with everyone's head? To become hokage? To be alone? WHY are you back, Sasuke? What do you _want_?"

The Uchiha didn't move a muscle. Kept his gaze low. A thin, ghostly rope of smoke connected the candle to the ceiling. Several tense seconds went by. Naruto sighed and walked out to the porch, where he'd placed his sandals.

"I'm sick and tired of hunting you down. I'm not doing it anymore." He put the sandals on with harsh movements and jumped down to the ground. "It's your turn to make a fucking effort."

With a final glare to the dark figure that was Sasuke, Naruto left the compound. Anger pushed through his veins as he walked. Frustration making him grit his teeth.

Despite everything, a bitter smile made it's way to his lips. Having a normal, non-hostile conversation with Sasuke was evidently just as impossible as it used to be.

Some things never changed.

TBC

* * *

So? What'd you guys think? Let me know. ^^  
(I apologize for any overlooked spelling/grammar error.)

- Caeva


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